Updating skills key for women returning after career break

CHENNAI: Rejoining the workforce after taking a professional break can be tough for women. What are the challenges and what can women do to overcome them? These frequently asked questions were discussed by an expert panel of women at a seminar on Wednesday.

"There are plenty of challenges when you come back. It all depends on how you present your employability," said Dr Saundarya Rajesh, founder-president, AVTAR Career Creators & FLEXI Careers India.

She was one of the speakers at the P.inc seminar at IIT Madras on 'How much value do women bring to the workplace'. An initiative of the Times Group, P.inc aims to help women who have taken a mid-career break get back to work through by seminars, training workshops and providing access to employers.

The seminar, moderated by Bachi Karkaria, advisor and editorial curator of P.inc, was the sixth of the Talking Tour lectures being held in eight cities. Speakers included Srimathi Shivashankar, AVP, HCL, Padmini Sharathkumar, ex-vice-president & global head, Polaris Financial Technology.

Panellists who had themselves taken a break shared the success mantras, which helped them grow. "Two things helped me — planning, which is my signature strength, and the phenomenal ability to take risks, the ability to go headlong and try something," said Padmini.

Saundarya, who herself took a six-year break, said, "When I wanted to come back in the mid-1990s there was no help... For me the only route available was that of an entrepreneur in the same space." Back then she was a minority but today there were thousands of women taking a break, she said.

Srimathi said three things helped her grow in the organization. "Identify your own competencies, become more fungible, identify opportunities and quickly grab them," she said.

Panellists also discussed diversity in the workplace and the women-friendly policies companies have.

They also had a word of advice for women making a comeback. "Today, companies no longer shortchange you. But they seek evidence of your skills still being intact and see if you are aware of what's happening around you," said Saundarya.

Women in the audience had questions about the basics of launching a job hunt. "You see lots of flexible job options on the internet but how do you reach out to them," asked Pramila Prasan, 31, a former IT firm employee keen on returning after four years.

There was a man too in the audience. "My wife, who was an assistant manager in a bank, took a break one month ago as the workload was too heavy," said Guru Raghavendra. "Since she couldn't make it to the seminar, I am here to explore opportunities for her."